The body was still aching and the scab on his nose, caused by a stray Scottish
boot a week earlier, had been reopened, but Brad Barritt was able to reflect
proudly yesterday on England’s 12-6 win over Ireland in the RBS Six Nations
Championship.

“The level of execution needed to produce a performance like that in tough
conditions underpins everything we’ve been doing as a team and shows how far
we’ve come,” the centre said.

Despite the inexperience of the side, with the seven backs having 104 caps
between them, England kept their composure on Sunday and made the right